May 19th - the stage is set !

Barbagallo Tuning Day ! See you there !

Rod

Quick update

Yes I have been very quiet ! I think it's been a couple of months since my last post now but in all honesty nothing really exciting has happened since then !

The new upgrades to Barbagallo circuit should be complete any day which means it's time to go out there and stretch my legs in the new year. I feel like I haven't been inside a race car for years !

Anyway more to come I hope ...

- Rod

Photoshoot

First mention in a local magazine

Yesterday I received a copy of a monthly magazine called "The Racing Line" distributed by WASCC club, (owners and operators of Perth's Barbagallo Raceway) only to discover a photo of my Honda during Round 8 of the Speed Event Series. 

Thought I'd share :)

- Rod

Look what's coming !!

No one knows if it's an actual replacement for the ever popular S2000 (the source magazine claims it could be called a Civic roadster) but so far we know that it will go into production in as early as 2012 and it will be electric ! Can't wait !

Source : Auto Motor und Sport

- Rod

Who wants a real JDM Type-R ?

Honda enthusiasts !

I'm looking for expressions for interest from people willing to get their hands on this rare JDM personal import (only 1 in WA and maybe one of maybe 3 in the whole of Australia!).

If you haven't seen this car in the flesh here are some photos (Set 1, Set 2) ! If you want to see it with your own eyes email me.



The car has done just under 52,000km in its lifetime (only 9k of those on circuits !!), has had top quality engine and transmission oils changed every 1,000kms (!), engine which has NEVER been modified, car which has been extremely well looked after with loads of real history and it's just a beauty you won't find ANYWHERE in Australia !

The car can be purchased in its current form with its original Honda OEM wheels seen above sitting on near-new Yokohama ADVAN NEOVA AD08s !!

If you're interested in getting my RAYS CE28Ns in custom painted matte black (see below) you can have those for AUD$2.5k. I can even even throw in near-new Yokohama ADVAN A050s semi-slicks (2 sets for the front, 1 set for the rear) for just AUD$1k !

As far as the car is concerned, you'll get a whole bunch of new oil filters (ones sold in Japan only and superior to those sold locally) and some mickey mouse tools and goodies. I have the original Japanese paperwork also plus EXTRAs for added originality :)

The car is registered in WA for another 12 months. Has an exemption from ADRs too !

The spec for the car is here.

Email your genuine, good faith offers to me directly

- Rod

Spotted on the streets of Perth Pt 2

Some more photos surfaced today taken by Vtechnique's Bede Grainger ...

Enjoy !
- Rod

Spotted on the streets of Perth

Here is my car at the JDM WA #4 meet.
(photos taken by their respective photographers)

I'm sure more photos will surface in days to come.

- Rod

Matte black JDM DC5R

Last time I raced at Ebisu's 6hr endurance race I came across this beauty !

It is exactly the same car as mine except it was spray painted in then very popular matte black.

Enjoy !

-Rod

Right place at the right time !

Not DC5 related but still worth sharing ... On sunday I took some photos of the local drift practice held at my local circuit and as luck would have it I was positioned in the perfect spot to take this shot !

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Enjoy !
-Rod

We've gone mobile !

In case you haven't noticed you can now access my blogs through your iPhone, iPad or any other internet capable mobile phone device !

Enjoy !

- Rod

Allstars Tuning Weekend 2011 in Poland !

I normally don't post non-Honda related news but today I'll make an exception ...

Here is a video of the recent Allstars Tuning Weekend held in Poland featuring what Poland is famous for : horses, garden hoses and beautiful women ! Oh and there are a few Hondas in the video too :)

Enjoy !



- Rod

November 18/19th - mark your calendars !

Australian National Time Attack Series Round 3 at Barbagallo Raceway 

http://www.trackbattle.com.au/

- Rod

Rainbow bridge night shot

One more before I call it quits !

This shot was actually taken quite close to my apartment at a fishing berth looking towards Tokyo's rainbow bridge. My photography skills were quite poor then so the result isn't stunning but you get the idea !

- Rod

A little gem !

I was looking through my collection of photos today and found this little gem !

I still had the original Honda wheels and that big advert on the side of the car (by the way if you're living in Japan contact this guy for some amazing custom car graphics !)

Can you guess the location ?

- Rod

We have a fix !

Got the tyre back from my Yokohama dealer yesterday all fixed and ready ! 

The solution was to drill a hole slightly larger than the one made by the screw with a rough edge drill, then insert a rubber plug through the inside and seal it on both the inside and the outside. 

My tyre guy seems to think that it will perform just fine even under heavy braking and cornering. As he put it "I'd have it on my 911 without any issues".

The reason why the plug is sealed on the outside was to prevent moisture and water from getting inside and thus breaking the seal on the inside.

I guess we'll see how it goes next time I'm out there.

My only concern was the plug is somewhat sticking out but I guess that's needed once the tyre is heated up to its optimal temperature the plug's rubber should blend in nicely with the rest of the tyre.

-Rod

Race queens keep the blog alive guys !

There have been some changes made to this blog recently and although minor they should help increase its popularity among DC5 lovers, tuners and YOU !

To help me with this effort you'll see some buttons at the bottom of each post which will allow you to share my posts on Facebook, Twitter or otherwise.

Feel free to click on them and share ! It goes a long way !

- Rod

Getaway in Tokyo (re-lived)

Back in 2008 when I first purchased my car I really wanted to put a video together of something which resembled Getaway in Stockholm I'd seen a few years earlier.

Well this video is it ! Enjoy !



- Rod

Next major step(s) in the DC5 tuning process

I've been hoping to hit the track one more time before the summer arrives and before the circuit shuts down for major redevelopment this November but unfortunately due to a last minute and a rather unforeseen tyre situation (see below) I now have an excuse to hang up my gloves and concentrate on further car development.

Here is a list of what's definitely going to happen in readiness for 2012 :

- replace SWIFT springs from 10/12kg (front/rear) to 14/16kg
- minor overhaul of RG dampers throughout
- adjust ride height and revert front camber to a setting I used to have in Japan
- purchase a new front set of YH A050s or Dunlop Direzza 03Gs (not available in Australia unfortunately but extremely competitive and popular in Japan)
- purchase new SD front rotors from DIXCEL
- purchase new set of PROJECT MU Level Max700 pads

then a list of likely but undecided at this point changes :

- bite the bullet on whether to keep the car registered or simply turn it into a dedicated track car and therefore strip out the interior completely
- throw out OEM exhaust headers and replace with a SPOON 4-1 system and get rid of the catalytic converter at the same time
- replace the OEM battery with ODYSSEY racing lightweight battery

and finally a tentative wish list :

- decide on whether to invest in SEEKER's K-TECH engine upgrade 215-SL (Super Lambda) and the associated costs of upgrade, subsequent ECU tuning and benefits of such.

The lists are long and I have until March 2012 when the upgraded circuit re-opens to have these done so plenty of time but at the same time a few decisions need to be made on the future of the car. No I'm not thinking of selling it ! It's a decision on the purpose of the car from this point on : track only or street-track. Time will tell !

Stay tuned for updates

-Rod

New set of suspension wrenches is finally here !

Thanks to Ryo from SEEKER I now have a decent set of wrenches to adjust the ride height of my suspension.
They feel much heavier and sturdier than the original ones.

I'll be needing them soon once my new springs are fitted

- Rod